If you do not know your birth time or are not sure of the accuracy of your birth time, then try the following (in order):
(1) Access your birth records:
If you have access to birth records through your birth county Department of Records, or Vital Statistics, it would be best to send away for your birth records. It usually costs $5-15 and can take anywhere from one day if it can be received through the internet to several weeks for some states.
You would ask for the complete records, not just the birth certificate. Many birth certificates do not have time of birth listed. However, there is a form that is generically called a ‘long form’ (different states call it different names). This form that goes with the birth certificate has many details including time of birth, attending physician and nurses, etc.
(2) Use a “Solar Sign” Chart
If no birth records are available for you, then the simplest option is to run a chart called a “Solar Sign” Chart. This pretends that you were born around sunrise. This is the type of chart astrologers use to write the sun sign daily horoscopes you see in newspapers. It provides a good symbolic chart where all of the planets are in their correct sign and in correct relationship to each other. The ‘symbolic’ part is that the areas of the chart the planets land in (called houses) represent general information on your personality rather than being in the specific house they were in if we had accurate birth time. Even when astrologers have an accurate birth time, this type of chart is useful. The potential inaccuracy is the sign the moon was in when you were born. The moon moves relatively quickly, about 1 degree every two hours. If you were born on the day the moon changed signs, there is a possibility your moon could be in either the previous or subsequent sign. The moon is associated with emotions, family, nurturing, relating in relationships, the disease cancer, stomach, Monday, etc. So this is a potential problem if you were born late at night and this chart pretends you were born at sunrise. Still, it is a valid chart even when you have accurate birth time. (Note: this is not a good use for Earthlines, AstroCartoGraphy Maps)
(3) Try Chart Rectification
There is a process called rectification. This is a process of looking at major events in life to adjust the chart to fit the events. Births, deaths, winning the lottery, car accidents, a significant move, etc. are examples of events.
If you know the approximate birth time, within a couple hours, a “dirty rectification” can be attempted. I add on a small fee to do it when you schedule a consultation, and I do not do it at all if you are not getting a consultation. This is a low priority item for me since it is time consuming, so quick service is not to be expected. (Note: This is probably not a good thing to do for Earthlines, AstroCartoGraphy Maps due to the exactness needed.)
If you do not know your birth time at all, a full chart rectification can produce a “working chart.” . It is a spendy process and you need to dig through numerous life events to get as exact date as possible for 13-1 7 events (and in different years. I NO LONGER DO FULL RECTIFICATION– best to do an internet search.
(4) Be aware of historical Daylight Savings Time issues
The last note on birth time is for people born in Illinois and Pennsylvania during Daylight Savings Time prior to 1962. Local law requires that the birth time be calculated in these states as Standard Time rather than the actual clock time. Some hospitals followed the law, others did not. So it is important for me to know if the birth time you give me is Daylight Time or Standard Time when you schedule your appointment. I have a partial list of hospitals and what time they used in these cases, but my list is far from complete.
(5) Cosmobiology
The final option is a type of astrology that I do not provide. It is called Cosmobiology and uses a 90 degree circle rather than the common 360 degree circle used by most astrologers. This type of astrology does not use birth time, so it is not relevant. I have taken classes in this form of astrology and find that a good cosmobiologist astrologer can do a very good reading. However, it is one of the odd branches of astrology. When choosing someone to do this form of astrology for you, make certain that they can explain what they are offering in layperson’s terms, as they have a language all to themselves.